ABSOLUTE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE IN THE POETRY OF HORACE, VІRGIL AND OVID: SEMANTICS, STRUCTURE, FUNCTIONALITY

Abstract

The semantic, structural and functional features of the absolute comparative and superlative in the poetry of Horace, Virgil and Ovid are investigated and described in the article. The cases of using the absolute comparative and superlative in the Latin text are considered. The subject of research was the morphological means of transmission for comparative and superlative. The study used a descriptive method for inventory, classifi cation and interpretation of means for absolute intensifi cation and contextual analysis to determine the functional features of comparative and superlative in a particular microtext. Together with component analysis, this method allows analyzing words by semantic nature. The analysis of the text allowed us to reveal that comparativus absolutus, superlativus absolutus belong to the morphological means of expressing the intensity of the attributive feature and are irrelevant (non-relative) to comparison, because their denotation is the feature of the object and its measure. They express only the increased excess of the degree of sign of object in relation to the norm and represent only the elative (large) degree of intensity of the sign. Absolute comparative and superlative are considered in a simple construction (phrase), in combination with the denoted word: noun-subject or noun-object (rarely pronoun). They can stand in the preposition or the postposition in relation to the denoted word. In addition to simple two-membered constructions, poets use more complex three-membered or four-membered ones. Complex types of constructions enrich the content of the context with additional attributive qualities, and as well as two-membered ones help to strengthen the image of the poem. Comparativus absolutus in works of the authors was found less than superlativus absolutus. Virgil did not use it at all. Combined with the denoted words, both degrees belong to six lexical-semantic groups (LSG). Among them there are two major groups: 1) LSG with the expression of the intensity of physical quantity, quantity, weight, physical and spatial volume; 2) partial-evaluation and evaluation adjectives.

Keywords

• absolute comparative
• absolute superlative
• intensity
• degrees of comparison of adjectives
• elative